Books in 13 Children Should Know series

This heavily illustrated book featuring the world's greatest painters is an excellent introduction for young readers to artists and their works.Whether it’s Leonardo da Vinci’s mysterious Mona Lisa, Vermeer’s vibrant depictions of light, Van Gogh’s mesmerizing brush strokes, or Matisse’s playful cutouts, the art featured here is introduced in a format and style that will appeal to children. The book proceeds chronologically, accompanied by a timeline to offer helpful historical context. Each artist’s entry includes a concise biography, beautiful reproductions of major works, and lively texts that speak directly to young readers. Games, quizzes and other activities help readers learn about the significant contributions of each artist in a way that is both fun and inspiring. Additional information about museums, suggestions for further reading, and online resources will satisfy the most curious minds.

This new book in the 13 Series introduces young readers to a variety of important art techniques, explained through some of the world's most recognizable masterpieces. What's the difference between watercolor and gouache, or between a collage and an assemblage? How are frescoes and mosaics made? Why do prints look so different from each other? These questions and others are explored through major works of art in dazzling color reproductions. Children will learn about drawing through cave paintings and Leonardo's sketches, understand how Holbein and Van Gogh used oil paints to vastly different effect, and discover what Matisse accomplished with colored paper and a pair of sharp scissors. Along the way they will be encouraged to make their own masterpieces using similar techniques.

In this intriguing book, young readers will be introduced to the unsolved mysteries behind some of the world’s greatest art and artists.For as long as people have been viewing the masterpieces in this book, they’ve been asking the same questions: Why is the Mona Lisa smiling? Who was that girl with the pearl earring? What made Magritte’s reading woman so frightened? These and other great mysteries of the art world are explored in this colorful, fun, and informative children’s book. Each masterpiece is presented in a double page spread with stunning reproductions, biographical information about the artist, historical context and the pressing questions themselves. From Bosch to Banksy, the mysterious life of Caravaggio to the strange room in Velazques’ Las Meninas, Surrealism to stolen art―young readers’ interests in some of the world’s great masterpieces will be piqued by the puzzles they offer and that remain unsolved to this day.

This lively and engaging volume in Prestel’s successful “Children Should Know” series opens a door into the fascinating world of architecture. Buildings of every shape and size, and from all corners of the world, populate this colorful and beautifully produced book that introduces children to history’s most iconic architectural feats and the people behind them. In lively illustrated spreads, young readers will learn how Christopher Wren reconstructed an 11th-century cathedral after London’s great fire of 1666 to become the St Paul’s Cathedral that we know today, and how its dome survived the Blitz. They will find out how Thomas Jefferson, in building his plantation, Monticello, created a new architecture for a new nation. They will be introduced to the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, and Zaha Hadid and can examine in detail the wonders of the Eiffel Tower, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and Rome’s most beautiful museum. The book proceeds chronologically, accompanied by a timeline to offer helpful historical context. Each architect’s entry includes a concise biography, illustrations of major works, and lively texts that speak directly to young readers. Additional information about the buildings pictured, suggestions for further reading, and online resources will satisfy the most curious minds.

The latest volume in this successful series introduces young readers to major movements in art history―from Romanesque to Pop art. Filled with gorgeous color reproductions and packed with fascinating information, this beautiful book presents a chronological sampling of the world’s important artistic styles. Double-page spreads provide a detailed description of each movement, representative illustrations, and a timeline that places the artwork in its historical context. All of these elements are presented in a playful, eye-catching manner that will appeal to a wide range of young readers. The book also features numerous ideas for projects that kids can undertake themselves and offers helpful suggestions for learning more about each style. Children will find hours of fun reading that will equip them with essential knowledge―enhancing and deepening their understanding of art history and inspiring them in their own artistic endeavors.

The most recent addition to Prestel’s acclaimed series, which introduces children to important works of art and architecture, offers a fascinating look at bridges that span the centuries as well as the globe. The bridges profiled in this engaging book for young readers have achieved legendary status. Filled with photographs, plans, drawings, and informative texts it explores the fascinating history, construction, design, and significance of 13 renowned structures in a manner that will appeal to children hungry forinformation. In double-page spreads that highlight importantas well as little-known facts, they will learn about the buildingof the Millau Viaduct, the tallest bridge in the world; how theGolden Gate bridge lives up to its evocative name; the hauntinghistory of Venice’s 16th-century Bridge of Sighs, and theingenious construction methods devised by the builders of theBrooklyn Bridge. Vibrantly designed to encourage children tolinger and explore the subject further, this book will appeal tocurious minds, and inspire its young readers to dream and buildon their own.

The world's most iconic buildings are made accessible and exciting for young readers in this colorful introduction to architecture that changed the world.Children’s fascination with buildings is a natural outgrowth of their curiosity about anything strange or huge or complex. This unique book brings together thirteen architectural wonders that have intrigued children for years. Through activities such as games, quizzes, drawings and other activities, it teaches them the history behind each of the buildings, and presents fascinating facts about the design, historical use, and construction techniques. This book features pyramids built by men with pulleys, a tower that leans, an opera house shaped like a sailboat, a museum built like a spiral, and the most recent example, a “bird’s nest” stadium where the 2008 summer Olympics were held. Each of these buildings and more are introduced to young readers through lively texts and illustrations that will serve to heighten their interest and knowledge about the world’s most important architecture, and perhaps inspire them to dream and build on their own.

A winged, headless goddess from the third century; a gigantic tube of toothpaste; a tribal mask; a monumental bronze statue of Buddha―these creations and more are featured in this book of sculptures that are fun to explore and important in the history of art.Sculpture is inherently interesting to children, who naturally respond to shape, size, texture and color. This book takes a close look at thirteen of the world’s most fascinating sculptures, including works by Michelangelo, Rodin, and Niki de Saint Phalle, and other works from around the world. Shaped from wood, stone, metal and plastic, these works tell us much about the culture in which they were created. Each page is filled with colorful photographs and accessible information about the work, the artist who created it, andthe world in which it was made. Various games and puzzles enhance this introduction to three-dimensional masterpieces, which is certain to whet its young readers’ appetites for more.

This newest addition to Prestel’s acclaimed series, which introduces children to important works of art and architecture, takes young readers around the world to investigate how tall buildings are constructed and what makes them so appealing. There’s something irresistible about a skyscraper. It can reshape an entire city skyline, and from the building’s top floors, people can see the world from a different perspective. Travelling from New York City to Dubai, from London to Shanghai, and from Kuala Lumpur to Chicago, this colorful book features double-page spreads for each of the skyscrapers it profiles. Each chapter includes photographs, information on the building’s architect and history, and interesting facts about its construction and use. For instance, why is the Chrysler Building so admired, even though it doesn’t stand nearly as tall as other skyscrapers? How do you measure the height of a building and how do you make sure it doesn’t topple over in strong winds? How has skyscraper technology changed from the steel frame skeletons that supported the earliest towers to the advanced computer programs that are now needed to design buildings more than 100 stories high? How has city life changed since the first skyscrapers were built? Written in a style that will draw in young readers, this fascinating tour of the world’s tallest buildings will satisfy even the most curious minds.

From Cubism to cartoons, this book of eye-popping art and engaging activities introduces young readers to modern art.Picasso, Chagall, Calder, Lichtenstein, Hockney―these artists and the others profiled here offer a world of interest to children. This exciting exploration of modern, Pop, and postmodern art is designed to appeal to young minds. Large illustrations brimming with color; fascinating explanations and biographical information; do-it-yourself activities, quizzes and a helpful glossary and timeline are all part of the vibrant book. Children will be drawn to the stories and interactive opportunities as they discover these important artists who changed the world.

A colorful, accessible and engaging introduction to art history that children will remember for years to come. It's never too early to introduce children to art. Featuring thirteen painters from a variety of historical periods and styles, this book demonstrates just how interesting and exciting art can be. From the fantastic images of Hieronymus Bosch to the romantic idealism of titian, the gorgeous colors of Cézanne to Jean-Michel Basquiat's African-and street art-inspired figures-each patinter is presented in chronologically arranged double page spreads that feature beautiful reproductions, interesting facts, biographical information, and comparisons to other painters. Fun to read and informative, this latest addition to the "Children Should Know" series offers young readers inspiration and encouragement to develop a further interest in all kinds of art.

This lively introduction to some of the towering figures in American art will inspire children to dream, create, and think.Who was Whistler’s mother? Why did Georgia O’Keeffe paint all those flowers? How did Joseph Cornell create his incredible boxes? These questions and more are answered in this book on American artists designed to catch young readers’ attention and satisfy their unending curiosity. Each artist is featured in double-page spreads that are as unique as their subjects. Fascinating biographical portraits, interesting sidebars, and ideas to spark the imagination enhance exquisite reproductions of well-known works. Presented chronologically, these profiles are strung together by a continuous timeline that highlights world events that impacted the artists’ work. Children and adults alike will find much to learn, savor, and enjoy in this colorful introduction that is both interactive and edifying―not to mention fun.